Portable hose carts for convenient handling and storage of a garden hose have gained wide public acceptance. Such carts, which are chiefly made of molded plastic components, include a rotatable reel for taking up and paying out the hose, a frame including a pair of frame sides for supporting the reel, wheels at one end of the base of the frame, and a handle for tilting the frame onto the wheels so that the cart may be easily moved. For more information concerning the structure and operation of such a hose cart, reference may be made to commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,510, the teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,976 shows a portable hose cart including a U-shaped aluminum handle connected to the frame sides. This patent further teaches a discrete tray or storage box for holding accessories, and which is attached to the tops of the frame sides by threaded fasteners.
As these hose carts are for the general consuming public, it is desirable that the carts can be easily assembled. Commercially available hose carts typically use threaded fasteners to join major components. The use of such fasteners can be time consuming and requires the use of a simple hand tool. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 314,387, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,580 issued Apr. 3, 1990, the teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference, teaches the use of a connector assembly for joining components of a hose cart. A male component of the assembly is molded with one piece of the cart, and a female component of the assembly is molded with a second piece of the cart to be joined to the first piece. These components are easily unlatched to permit disassembly of the hose cart for off-season storage. Further simplification in the manufacture and assembly of hose carts is always desired.